Exhibitions and Awards

From early on in his career, Fornasier has continued to take part in art exhibitions, performances and workshops, experimenting with different artistic expressions through collaborations with the most interesting names on the contemporary art scene.

Out of all the countless art glass exhibitions in which he has taken part, both individual and collective, the highlight has to be his invitation by Rosa Barovier Mentasti to take part in the great international glass artworks exhibition Vetri nel Mondo Oggi promoted by the IVSLA Veneto arts and sciences institute, which was held in the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti building in Venice in 2004: an international event that showcased works from 80 of the world’s most important glass artists – representatives of the studio glass movement – and provided a stage on which Fabio Fornasier stood out for his young age, creativity and technique.

There has been a succession of exhibitions and awards from ’96 to date: he won first prize in the Young Artists section at the International Exhibition “Venezia Aperto Vetro”; he was invited by galleries and institutions to exhibit in Austria, France, Switzerland and the US; and took part in three editions of the Vitraria exhibition.

In 2005, he joined Iachetti and Gumdesign as one of the 33 designers at Breakfast Design, an ironic Fuorisalone side event associated with Milan Design Week. Following his invitation by the Pistoletto Foundation’s “Cittadellarte” to act as guest speaker at the “Arte Città Società” workshop – part of the “L’isola interiore” exhibition by Achille Bonito Oliva during the Venice Biennale – he returned to Venice International University, the venue for the events, for further lectures and conferences, and to take part in the university’s art projects.

He collaborated on the History Unwired project for the 51st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition and, in 2006, attended the 10th Venice Architecture Biennale, taking part in the CZ side event.

In 2007, for the 62nd Venice International Film Festival, in collaboration with the Abate Zanetti Glass School, he produced the special prize in Venetian glass awarded to director Takeshi Kitano.

The same year, he was presented with one of the top awards up for grabs at the Cheongju Biennale in Korea for his ReWine creation, a Rezzonico chandeliermade from eighty wine bottles “hot-worked” in the Murano furnaces: an eco-friendly and technically perfect work.

In 2010, a splendid black LU Murano was chosen by the photographer Fred Leveugle to feature on the official poster for the Scènes d’Intérieur Paris, the exhibition directed by Jaime Hayon as part of the international Maison et Objets show. In March 2010, the LU Murano design was awarded the UK Lighting Design Award of the year 2010.